Leadership, as it turned out, was mostly a routine. Going from individual to individual, from border to border, from oasis to grass, and back. Asmodeus had taken to doing his nightly patrol at the edge of dusk, when the sky above was most brilliant and at least offered an interesting backdrop to watch while he checked the borders for any changes.

For the third round in a row, he caught the scent of someone who did not quite belong. Thus far, their scent had remained largely on the side of the Badlands, only catching in his nares when the wind would shift just right and so he had not worried overly much about them. The hoofprints he'd found scuffed on the rare sandy spot in the higher elevation near the border were small enough to belong to a child, but any attempts to find the culprit had resulted in a stalemate, and he was loathe to explore further lest Sakir misunderstand his curiosity.

Today, though, he could just make out the shape of a weanling and he took care to make his steps light and stealthy as he approached. He had learned the hard way that they could be quite elusive when they wanted to be.

"All alone?" He asked when he was closer, studying the child as if by looks alone he would understand who she was. Her proximity to the Badlands and the markings on her body suggested she was Rafe's but there was no way to say for certain. The Desert wasn't meant to be a home for lost orphans, but it occurred to him suddenly that with Salem in a bit of turmoil, it would not be a bad idea to take home what might be a child of Rafe's. Even if the overo and his kin didn't manage to return to power, there was still a possibility the child could be useful eventually, especially now that it was weaned.

"I take it that was home," he said, not entirely unkindly, although no one would mistake him as being doting. He gestured to the Badlands as he said it, and placed subtle emphasis on the past tense. He paused for a moment giving the child - a girl - a chance to respond if she wished. "I'm Asmodeus."

Adult Stallion 16.0HClassic Champagne ChimeraSolomon x Xiomara